Château Barateau

Identity

Château Barateau is a winegrowing estate located in the commune of Saint-Laurent-Médoc. It is managed by Sébastien Planteur. The current owner is Mr Li, represented by the Société Fermière Château Barateau, chaired by Patrick Leroy.

History and philosophy

The origins of the Château Barateau vineyard date back to the 18th century. The château buildings were constructed in 1820. The estate owes its name to Abbé Barateau, the parish priest of Saint-Laurent who blessed the building's foundation stone. The property is classified as a Cru Bourgeois du Haut-Médoc.

The appellations

Château Barateau produces red wines under the Haut-Médoc appellation, bearing the Cru Bourgeois classification.

Practical information

Château Barateau is located in Saint-Laurent-Médoc. For enquiries, the estate can be contacted by telephone on 05 56 59 42 07 or by email at cb@chateau-barateau.com. The property does not offer accommodation.

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The vineyard (terroir)

The Château Barateau vineyard covers 28 hectares across the communes of Saint-Laurent and Saint-Sauveur. The soils are diverse, featuring clay-limestone terroirs in Saint-Laurent and sandy-gravelly soils in Saint-Sauveur. The vines, with an average age of 30 years, are planted at densities ranging from 6,500 to 8,000 vines per hectare. The grape varieties comprise Cabernet Sauvignon (50%), Merlot (48%), and Petit Verdot (2%).

Vineyard management practices include moderate yields, green harvesting, partial grass cover cropping, and leaf removal. Harvesting is predominantly mechanical, with grape sorting upon arrival at the cellar. For the "Prestige" cuvée, hand-harvesting is carried out on the finest plots.

Flagship cuvées

The estate's primary wine is Château Barateau Cru Bourgeois. A dedicated cuvée named Barateau "Prestige" is also produced, crafted from hand-picked grapes from the vineyard's finest parcels.

Vinification and ageing

Vinification is conducted traditionally. Fermentation and maceration take place in temperature-controlled concrete vats to maintain fermentation temperatures around 26°C. Vatting lasts between 3 and 4 weeks, with daily pump-overs designed to extract colour and tannins gently.

The wines are aged in French oak barrels for at least 12 months, with one-quarter of the barrels renewed each year.